


True Love's Kiss

by HopeSilverheart



Series: Loving Em at 2AM [44]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Clary Fray & Isabelle Lightwood Friendship, Curious Clary, Emily the OC, F/M, Fluff, Getting Back Together, Giving Clary and Jace their happy ending, Happy Ending, Hopeful Ending, Jace Wayland Feels, Memory Loss, Post-Canon, Post-Episode: s03e22 All Good Things..., They deserve to be together alright, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24970987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeSilverheart/pseuds/HopeSilverheart
Summary: However, what didn’t feel wrong was the way Jace would look at her when he stopped by one of her shows. What didn’t feel wrong was the way her heart sped up and her breath caught in her throat. What didn’t feel wrong was the warmth that coursed through her body when he smiled at her. There was something about him, and Clary was determined to find out what.So, just as he had been following her for the past month – and maybe even more, who knew – she started following him, thinking it was only right to return the favour. He probably knew everything about her life at this point, so the least she could do was find out a little about him too.Or: Memory loss be damned, Clary and Jace find their way back to each other.
Relationships: Clary Fray/Jace Wayland
Series: Loving Em at 2AM [44]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764400
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56
Collections: Fluff vs. Angst Battle 2020





	True Love's Kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thatnerdemryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemryn/gifts).



There was something about the man, something Clary couldn’t quite place.

Ever since that night at the art exhibit, when he had insisted they didn’t know each other, she had seen him around and wondered about him. She saw him in her dreams, flashes of gold she couldn’t quite describe or remember when morning came. She didn’t know why, but he was important.

He mattered, and Clary wanted to know why. She wanted to find out everything there was to know about him; what he did with his life, who his friends were, what he liked to do in his free time… It had been a while since she had last been this interested in someone; the first time since that fateful night when she had woken up with months of missing memories.

A part of her wondered if that’s where she knew the golden-haired man from. Had he met her during that time? Had he cared for her, or was he just a stalker who had some unfinished business with her? She didn’t know, and she was terrified to find out, but she was also so curious that it physically pained her not to talk to him.

Unfortunately, the man – _Jace,_ she reminded herself – was great at evading her. He could disappear in the blink of an eye, vanishing into the shadows as though he had never been there in the first place. It should have terrified Clary, but all it did was make her want to know him more.

He radiated light but travelled in darkness, and Clary had never craved for someone’s presence as much as she craved his. She didn’t know what had happened between them, didn’t know _if_ something had happened between them, but she couldn’t be the only one seeing the sparks that flew whenever the man was nearby. She couldn’t be the only one who felt the tension and lost her breath when Jace’s eyes met hers from a distance.

Her friends from college teased her about it, constantly trying to get a story out of her. She wanted to tell them, she really did, but there was nothing to say because, even weeks after first seeing and talking to the man, Clary couldn’t remember how they had met. Besides, something told her that speaking to her friends about him was a bad idea. The mere thought of discussing this mysterious Jace with them sent a sense of wrongness tingling down her spine, and she didn’t want to know what would happen if she went against her instincts.

However, what _didn’t_ feel wrong was the way Jace would look at her when he stopped by one of her shows. What didn’t feel wrong was the way her heart sped up and her breath caught in her throat. What didn’t feel wrong was the warmth that coursed through her body when he smiled at her. There was something about him, and Clary was determined to find out what.

So, just as he had been following her for the past month – and maybe even more, who knew – she started following him, thinking it was only right to return the favour. He probably knew everything about her life at this point, so the least she could do was find out a little about him too. Even just an idea of where he lived or what college he went to.

Yes, it was slightly creepy, but Clary was curious, and she had never claimed to be the most sensible person in the world. Besides, as long as Jace didn’t spot her, she would be fine. Even if he _did_ , she had a feeling he wouldn’t hurt her. He had never attempted anything in the past, and she doubted that would change now, after over a month of – stalking – following Clary around.

On the night she decided to follow him after one of her art shows, she put on one of her darkest outfits, black on black on black, with comfortable shoes and a coat that would keep the chilly evening air out. And then she followed him, weaving through the streets of New York City like it was second nature. Ever since that fateful night, she had noticed she knew the city a lot better than she had used to, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Although she supposed it might just mean that she spent a lot of time walking around New York in those few missing months. Maybe she had taken up jogging as a hobby, or maybe she had just needed space and had decided that the best way to get it was by combing through the city. Whatever the reason, it made things a lot easier for her now, as her feet did the work for her, following Jace to wherever he was going without faltering once.

They stepped into an open square with an old and beautiful church as its centrepiece and, although Clary only looked away for a second, by the time she turned back towards where she had last seen Jace, the man was gone. She cursed underneath her breath, wondering what it was about the church that had momentarily set her off-kilter. It gave her the same sort of feeling that Jace did, a strange anticipation mixed with what felt like a memory teasing at the edge of her mind.

The church mattered too, for some reason, and Clary was suddenly hit with an actual memory, one that she remembered – even though it was blurry and confusing and something she had tried her best to forget. She had been standing there, that night when she ‘woke up’. She had been right there, tears streaming down her face, the church standing proudly behind her.

And now Jace had led her there. She took a step in the beautiful building’s direction but, before she could reach the front door, someone tapped her shoulder lightly. Clary startled badly and squeaked as she spun around, her purse raised as though it were a suitable weapon.

She came face to face with an unimpressed looking woman. The blonde was curling her lip at Clary, inspecting her from head to toe as though she was a bug. The redhead bristly underneath her scrutiny and raised an imperious eyebrow at this woman. She had never met her before, of that she was sure, but something about her still set her on edge.

If Jace made her feel right, then this woman had the opposite effect on her.

“I’m sorry, can I help you?”

The woman chuckled lowly, shaking her head derisively at Clary and glancing at the church briefly before focusing on her again. Well, there was no doubt now: the church meant something, and Clary was going to find out what, strange woman or not. Chances were Jace was in there, and that was what Clary had been trying to do in the first place; follow Jace and find out what his deal was.

And it was none of this woman’s business. Clary pulled away from the blonde’s grasp easily, frowning at the woman when she stepped forward threateningly. Whatever her problem was, Clary was starting to think it was personal.

“Fray,” the blonde spat out, confirming Clary’s suspicions. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing here, but you should leave. I don’t know why you were banished from the Institute, but it was probably for a good reason, so don’t even think about trying to worm your way back in.”

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Clary asked confusedly. “I’m just here to see what Jace is up to, I don’t want any trouble with your… Institute.”

“I’m Emily Townsend and no, you thankfully _don’t_ know me,” the blonde said haughtily. “I don’t tend to hang around Institutes that accept people as untrained and unprofessional as you in their midst. Now, leave Jace alone and go back to where you came from. He doesn’t need you anymore, no one does.”

The words hit Clary harder than they should have. She didn’t even know what this Townsend woman was talking about, and yet her heart felt like it had been sliced in half by her statement. She didn’t know _who_ didn’t need her anymore, except for Jace, apparently, but she had a feeling they also mattered.

“Look, I’m really not sure what you’re talking about,” Clary said slowly, raising her hands in mock-surrender. “I just want to check that church out, alright? It’s beautiful, and I’m always looking for more art subjects to draw, so… I won’t bother you or your friends or whoever else you’re so afraid I’m going to approach whilst I’m in a church. As for Jace, well… You can’t exactly _make me_ stay away from him, especially since he’s the one who found me in the first place.”

“Of course he is,” Townsend rolled her eyes. “Fine then, go have fun in the _church_. I’d like to see how long you last there before someone kicks you out for being on private property you were banned from.”

Clary opened her mouth to protest and say that she had never been banned from anywhere in her life, but she snapped it shut before anything could come out. Because truth was, there was a chance that what this woman was saying was true. The thing about forgetting about a few months of her life was that Clary had no idea what had happened in that period of time. She couldn’t remember a single thing, which meant there was a chance she had well and truly been banned from a church, of all things.

However, there was also a chance that the woman was bluffing and Clary would walk into the building and everything could be fine. Staying outside would have been the safer option, but Clary hadn’t just followed Jace through New York City to stop in front of a familiar church and _not_ go in.

“I think I just might,” the redhead grinned, winking at Townsend. “Thank you for the warning, Emily, but no crazy girlfriend of Jace’s is going to stop me from checking this place out. It looks wonderful, and your little ban threat won’t scare me away. Besides, how did you know I was here in the first place?”

“I saw you on the security cameras,” Townsend smirked, as though that was something to be proud of. “And I noticed Jace coming in, which meant you had probably been stalking him, so I thought I would come and save him. Then I realised you were _Clary Fray_ of all people, and it just made me want to talk to you more. How does it feel to no longer be dating the best shadowhunter in our generation?”

The tingling feeling of familiarity was back, but Clary honestly had no idea what Townsend was talking about. She was starting to wonder if she had somehow joined a cult during her time off, met Jace there, and then done some unforgivable thing that had gotten her kicked out. It sounded a bit far-fetched, but so did forgetting five months of her life, so…

She shrugged and swirled around, reaching for the church’s door handle and pushing it open, expecting to find the same thing she had seen in other places of worship. Instead, she was greeted by bright lights and hundreds of background noises. There were people milling around the entrance hall and further in a larger, more open room, and Clary had no idea what was going on.

This was clearly no church, but it also didn’t feel like somewhere a cult would meet up at. Townsend slipped past her with a smug smirk, and Clary let that satisfied look rile her up and push her further into the building. She hadn’t quite understood why a church would have security cameras but, as she saw the high-tech gadgets scattered everywhere around her, she was beginning to see why someone might get banned from this place.

Had Clary stolen? Hijacked the camera system? Was this some sort of governmental experience put in place to track down criminals? Maybe Clary should have listened to Townsend and stayed away from the church-that-wasn’t-a-church. Before she could turn around and back out, however, a blur of red and black rushed towards her and crushed her into a hug.

“You’re back,” the blob of dark hair murmured, and Clary awkwardly embraced the woman. She had no idea who these people were or why they knew so much about her, but she felt just as warm in this woman’s arms as she did when Jace was around, so surely she couldn’t be bad, right? “You’re really back.”

Clary cleared her throat and carefully stepped away, not wanting this woman to accidentally get some grand ideas of a friendly reunion. No matter how much Clary felt drawn to the brunette, this was another Jace situation; she had no clue who this person was, although there was a name dancing at the back of her mind, just…

Right there, at the tip of her tongue…

“Izzy,” she murmured, frowning heavily at how _right_ the name sounded. The brunette perked up and nodded, and Clary knew she had hit the mark again. Just another sign of how crazy her life must have been in her missing time. She had met a beautiful boy, apparently become friends with this gorgeous brunette, and had spent time in a strange government church? Not for the first time, she wished that she could just _remember_. “Look, I’m sorry, I know you know me somehow, and I know I used to know you too, but… Truth is, I’m not sure- I don’t know what it is about this place that- I’m just looking for Jace, alright? I wanted to find out more about him, since he’s been following me around for a few months, and I didn’t want to bother anyone, and… If he’s not here, I can leave, and otherwise, well I’m apparently banned from this place so…”

“Who said anything about a ba- Oh, for fuck’s sake, I’m going to kill that woman,” Izzy growled. “You stay here, I’ll go find Jace and take care of Emily.”

Clary nodded but Izzy was already gone, so she sighed uncomfortably and looked around, leaning against a wall and trying to appear as casual as possible. She noticed a few strange stares sent her way but pointedly ignored them. She didn’t want to deal with any more awkward encounters; she had had enough for one night, and she still had to deal with Jace.

It was only now catching up to her that she had followed him to this place and would now probably come off as a stalker who was so obsessed with a boy that she had decided to follow him home. God, she should have never gone through with this insane plan. She should have never talked to Jace, should have never let her interest become so blatant, should have never been stupid enough to follow a near-stranger into a church.

She closed her eyes for one second, rubbing her hands tiredly over her face and, when she opened them again, Jace was there. He had gotten rid of his usual black attire and was wearing a blue jumper that made him look distinctively softer. The fact that he was gazing at her warmly certainly added to his overall gentle air.

“Clary.”

Her name sounded like a prayer on his lips, and memories seemed to push at the mental block inside the redhead’s mind. He had said her name before, had whispered it and yelled it, and Clary _knew that_ but she couldn’t remember it. She couldn’t remember any of it, and it was starting to give her a headache.

“Jace,” she answered quietly, her voice breaking on the word. “I don’t know what’s going on. I just- I wanted to find out more about you and why I feel this- this spark between us, but all I have now are more questions. I don’t know what this place is or why I’m drawn to it or why I remember this Izzy person too or why my heart beats faster when you say my name, and I- I don’t know what to do anymore. What am I missing, Jace, what _happened to me_?”

The blond sighed wearily, raising a hand as though he wanted to touch her but pulling it back at the last second, muttering an apology under his breath as he let his fingers fall back down to his side.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he told her, smiling sadly. “I should never have come back to you in the first place, Clary. You should- You should forget about me, alright? Forget about those missing months and start over, just as the ang- just as you were supposed to. You shouldn’t have even realised you were missing time, so please, go home.”

“But I _can’t_ ,” Clary snapped, throwing her hands in the air and furiously wiping away at the tears of frustration that were welling up in her arms. “Don’t you understand? I can’t, because I- There’s something between us Jace, right? Or there was, at least? Or there could be. Memories or not, there’s something pulling us together, and I’m not sure I can stay away, just as I’m not sure I’ll manage to stay away from this place now that I’ve found it and-”

“Clary…”

“ _Jace_ , I just want to understand. There has to be something, right? Something that’ll make me understand? I mean, this just feels like pure magic, Jace. It feels impossible, but surely even the impossible has a solution? I don’t know, is my true love hanging around somewhere to kiss me?”

Jace chuckled humourlessly for a second before cutting himself off, his eyes widening as they landed on Clary, and the redhead gaped.

“That was a joke, Jace, I barely even know you.”

“But I know _you_ ,” Jace pointed out and, as creepy as that sounded, Clary thought he had a point. “Look, just one peck, a brush of the lips, I promise I’ll never try again if it doesn’t work. As long as you promise to never come back.”

“Fine,” Clary grumbled, not bothering to protest. After all, her heart was begging her to kiss him, and she wasn’t the type of person to deny herself the things that she truly wanted. “Fine, one kiss. I still think you’re insane and slightly strange, and I’m not sure I understand a single thing that’s going on here, but-”

The blond’s lips cut her off in one fell swoop, and Clary gasped into the kiss. Jace’s lips were softer than she had thought they would be, and she barely held back a whine as he deepened it for a second. A strange feeling washed over her, something like pins and needles but _everywhere_ , and she pulled away from the blond dazedly.

She blinked once, twice, and then her lips parted in shock. Black spots danced in front of her as she tried to regain her bearings, but when her senses came back to her, she realised her sight wasn’t the only thing she had gotten back.

She was at the New York Institute, standing in front of…

“Oh my god,” she murmured, a lone tear of happiness rolling down her face. “ _Jace_.”

**Author's Note:**

> Heya guys! Thank you so much for reading! Em asked for some Clace today, and who am I to deny her the things she wants? I love exploring Clary's character, so this was a delight to write, and the little piece of Clace was surprisingly sweet, as was the addition of my Emily character (; I hope you all enjoyed!
> 
> Love, Junie. 
> 
> (find me on tumblr @hopesilverheart)


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